Wyoming Files Appeal in Wild Horse Case

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Matt Mead directed the Attorney General to appeal a federal district judge’s decision to dismiss the state’s lawsuit against the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) over wild horse management in Wyoming. The state’s appeal was filed today and will be heard in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. The State of Wyoming sued in December 2014 to require the DOI and BLM to properly manage wild horse populations under the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.

"The situation has not changed – the BLM has still not properly managed the wild horse population in Wyoming," said Governor Mead. “Mismanagement of the herds can have adverse consequences for the range and other species which share that habitat. The BLM’s approach fails to comply with the applicable law.”

A copy of the appeal is available on the Governor’s website: governor.wyo.gov/media/documents.